Manual, reliable and fun - 10k max
Discussion
Hi all need some serious help,
Currently struggling to choose which car I'd like. Had my eyes set on a Mk3 Mx5 but then changed my mind and wanted the mk3.5 due to the facelift changes and better styling. I realised I was then spending 10k on an mx5 which seems absurd and I could get something much nicer for that money.
My short list was/is:
Mk3/3.5 Mx5
Mk3 Mr2
Z4 Coupe
Megane 250
Very different cars I know but something about each of them I like. My priorities were manual, reliable and fun. Rwd is preferable and the less I have to pay the better. Lower running costs would also be great.
I'm not interested in track days and I've not been in the situation where a car has made me want to get up early to just go for a drive. My commute is A roads and motorway, and B roads when I collect the girlfriend from work. Have I missed any cars or am I heading in the right direction with my shortlist?
Currently struggling to choose which car I'd like. Had my eyes set on a Mk3 Mx5 but then changed my mind and wanted the mk3.5 due to the facelift changes and better styling. I realised I was then spending 10k on an mx5 which seems absurd and I could get something much nicer for that money.
My short list was/is:
Mk3/3.5 Mx5
Mk3 Mr2
Z4 Coupe
Megane 250
Very different cars I know but something about each of them I like. My priorities were manual, reliable and fun. Rwd is preferable and the less I have to pay the better. Lower running costs would also be great.
I'm not interested in track days and I've not been in the situation where a car has made me want to get up early to just go for a drive. My commute is A roads and motorway, and B roads when I collect the girlfriend from work. Have I missed any cars or am I heading in the right direction with my shortlist?
Thanks for the feedback all. Unfortunately I'm in need of something a bit more practical as a primary car now. So 2 seaters are ruled out as of now, I still like the sounds of the mk3 mr2 so I'll keep my eye out of a nice cheap one. They do sound fantastic as a second car proposition!
The comments you all made really do resonate with what I've read elsewhere. It's more of a junior Gt car that loves A roads and the motorway. Not being able to push it hard on a country road is a real killer for me in terms of £/fun ratio. Shame because they're beautiful outside and in and the engine, if anything like my E46 330ci, must be sublime!
Currently now looking at 5 door hot hatches as a good all rounder which will be fast, fun and practical. The Mk2 facelift focus ST and Mk5 Gti have taken my fancy. Any opinions on them?
The comments you all made really do resonate with what I've read elsewhere. It's more of a junior Gt car that loves A roads and the motorway. Not being able to push it hard on a country road is a real killer for me in terms of £/fun ratio. Shame because they're beautiful outside and in and the engine, if anything like my E46 330ci, must be sublime!
Currently now looking at 5 door hot hatches as a good all rounder which will be fast, fun and practical. The Mk2 facelift focus ST and Mk5 Gti have taken my fancy. Any opinions on them?
I looked at the 335i coupes and love the shape and interior however the potential for large bills put me off.
Looked at the focus st and the Mpg was awful plus insurance is hefty, close to 1k... And those looks, ghastly.
The five door requirement isn't rigid at all, just means I don't have to faff with folding seats. Although I do need fairly usable 2 seats, even if it means my passengers travel in discomfort.
Dammit everytime I see a Rs250 I fall for it! Think they look awesome, they also sound awesome to drive. People mentioned in another thread I posted that they do great at being sedate cruiser and an animal unleashed. Any idea if they return 30mpg+ on a cruise? Sadly only have 8k at the moment so will be another 2 months saving which is annoying. Problem is I change my mind like the wind! However the Megane is definitely on the short list. Any other suggestions that I could of missed?
Looked at the focus st and the Mpg was awful plus insurance is hefty, close to 1k... And those looks, ghastly.
The five door requirement isn't rigid at all, just means I don't have to faff with folding seats. Although I do need fairly usable 2 seats, even if it means my passengers travel in discomfort.
Dammit everytime I see a Rs250 I fall for it! Think they look awesome, they also sound awesome to drive. People mentioned in another thread I posted that they do great at being sedate cruiser and an animal unleashed. Any idea if they return 30mpg+ on a cruise? Sadly only have 8k at the moment so will be another 2 months saving which is annoying. Problem is I change my mind like the wind! However the Megane is definitely on the short list. Any other suggestions that I could of missed?
ZX10R NIN said:
If you'd like to know more about the RS250 have a read of this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Thanks for the link, that was a fantastic thread to read and to continue to follow! I'm almost pretty much sealed on a Rs250, just need a good test drive or two and a look around one to finalise my decision! http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Tuvra said:
I have no experience of running a Megane RS but I've had some nice modern hot hatches 2.0 ST, MKII Focus RS, Golf R and all achieved well over 30mpg on economy runs, I should imagine that the Megane would do it with no problem at all, in fact it wouldn't surprise me if it was 35-40 on a run.
If the 335 scares you, what about a 330i? Plenty available in all body forms under £10k this one looks a nice spec: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-330i-Msport-Manual-M...
That's great to hear! Mpg certainly isn't a concern when going for a blast but when I'm just trundling to and from work it starts to make a difference. I was spending £60 a week, 25mpg, with my E46 330ci which seemed rather pointless when I was just going from A to B. If the 335 scares you, what about a 330i? Plenty available in all body forms under £10k this one looks a nice spec: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-330i-Msport-Manual-M...
Looked at them as well but I discounted them as they're basically the same as my old E46 just obviously improved. They're great for cruising around but not much fun on a B road
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